Selfishness vs. selflessness

It seems too many Democrats, who are eager to expand federal entitlements by $400 billion for prescription drugs, don't understand that the United States is engaged in a war against jihadist terrorists -- the "enemies of civilization" like Al Qaeda, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others. They think that if we just capture Osama bin Laden, the world will return to normal again. It won't. These terrorists don't all report to one man, but act much like a franchise operation. They are recruited, trained at "Terrorism University" for a few months and sent out into the world to "go into business" for themselves. Their existence threatens this generation and the next, and failure to defeat them is not an option.

But failure is just what we could have if these selfish games continue. Kennedy is reportedly ready to cut off all funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan if he doesn't get what he wants from the administration. Calls to bring home the troops, cut off funds and hand things over to the United Nations are selfish demands of historic proportions. Somebody needs to remind Teddy that Americans have before, and will in this case, "pay any price and bear any burden" to guarantee the defense of this nation and her people.

We will also ensure that the sacrifices of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are not forgotten. Nor will we forget the sacrifices of hundreds of rescue workers, like 34-year old firefighter Stephen Siller who, on the morning of Sept. 11, had just completed an overnight shift and was driving to his home on Staten Island when he learned of the attack. Unable to drive because of traffic, he was forced to run three miles -- with his heavy gear -- from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center. Ignoring danger in an attempt to save lives, Siller perished on Sept. 11, 2001 in the first battle of the war on terrorism, but his family refuses to let his memory die.

They have organized a "Tunnel to Towers" run for Sept. 28 in New York City to trace the heroic steps Stephen took that fateful day. While thousands of New Yorkers are running to commemorate the memory of Siller, some members of Congress will still be threatening to cut funding or reduce our commitment to defeating the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan. The heroes of Sept. 11 deserve better.

Oliver North is a nationally syndicated columnist, the host of War Stories on the Fox News Channel, the author of the new novel Heroes Proved and the co-founder of Freedom Alliance, an organization that provides college scholarships to the children of U.S. military personnel killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Join Oliver North in Israel by going to www.olivernorthisrael.com.